Mutapa Investment Fund’s Dorowa Minerals is expected to resume operations next month after refurbishment work at the phosphate mine reached 95 per cent completion. The project is emerging as one of the most advanced under the Mutapa Investment Fund’s US$153 million fertiliser value chain programme, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
The restart of the country’s only phosphate producer is shaping up to be one of the most significant projects progressing under the Mutapa Investment Fund’s fertiliser value chain initiative.
Mutapa chief executive John Mangudya told Parliament this week that refurbishment of the Dorowa plant is now 95 per cent complete, with the mine expected to be fully operational in May.
Once restarted, Dorowa is expected to produce 100,000 tonnes of phosphate concentrate per year. This would be sufficient to support the production of around 300,000 tonnes of basal fertiliser, compared to the national demand of approximately 450,000 tonnes.
The development is significant, as Zimbabwe has increasingly relied on imported phosphates and fertiliser raw materials in recent years, exposing local producers to high foreign currency costs and supply disruptions.
Dorowa’s return is therefore expected to ease pressure on fertiliser imports while providing a critical feedstock for downstream companies such as ZimPhos, ZFC, and Sable Chemicals.
So far, Mutapa has disbursed US$5.3 million towards the first phase of the Dorowa refurbishment. The fund has also released US$10 million to Zimbabwe Fertiliser Company, US$3 million to ZimPhos, and US$13.3 million to Sable Chemicals as part of a broader effort to rebuild the fertiliser value chain.
Mangudya said the funding is being released in stages and tied to specific project milestones.
The Dorowa restart is also expected to unlock the revival of ZimPhos’ sulphuric acid plant, which has remained idle largely due to unreliable phosphate supplies from the mine.
According to Mangudya, attention has now shifted to the sulphuric acid plant, where technical assessments are underway to support the next phase of the rehabilitation programme. Progress at the facility has been slower due to the need for specialised equipment and lengthy procurement timelines.
“Progress has been made in resolving mobilisation challenges, and technical assessments are currently underway to determine the integrity and compatibility of the sulphuric acid plant equipment,” Dr Mangudya said.
The work forms part of a broader push to reduce Zimbabwe’s dependence on imported fertiliser inputs, at a time when the country consumes about 1.4 million tonnes of fertiliser each year, including ammonium nitrate and basal fertiliser.
Mutapa says the task has been complicated by the condition of the companies it inherited in 2024. The fund took over businesses burdened by ageing machinery, obsolete plant and equipment, significant legacy debts, and weak corporate governance systems—issues that have constrained production for years.
It believes that resolving these challenges, alongside the rehabilitation of key mining and processing assets, will be critical if Zimbabwe is to build a reliable domestic fertiliser industry, reduce imports, and strengthen local value chains.
For the Government, Dorowa has become more than just a mining project. Its return to production is increasingly being viewed as an early test of whether Zimbabwe can revive strategic industries through domestic beneficiation.
